Should You Keep Your Salary a Secret?

by Caroline M.L. Potter, Yahoo! HotJobs

You share a lot with your coworkers over time: Projects. Lunches. Office space. Cocktails. Family photos. Birthday cake. But, even after many years of working together, should you share the details of your salary and compensation package?

No, says compensation expert Dick Dauphinais of Strategic Compensation Partners. "We all know employees talk, and things can never remain totally confidential," he says. "But an outright exchange of salary details probably isn't the best idea."

Keep It Secret, Keep It Safe

When companies have different employees on the same job and one of them is paid differently, many unfairness issues surface. "It can happen in any 'open shop' that differentiates pay for any reason (seniority, performance, etc.)," says Dauphinais. You could run the risk of alienating valued colleagues if they learn you earn more for what they perceive to be the same job.

Dauphinais, who has more than 30 years of human resources experience specializing in both the compensation and benefit areas, instead urges organizations to focus on structure. "I am a big fan of sharing the compensation 'structure' and all the components that dictate how employees progress through that structure with staff members."

Democracy Doesn't Always Work at Work

There are organizations that openly share compensation information around the office. However, warns Dauphinais, "Unless all similar jobs pay the same rate, I would advise that open salary concepts don't work well."

The confidential nature of your salary, in fact, can be a greater benefit to you. "It creates an opportunity for a manager to have a confidential discussion with employees as to why they are being paid what they are -- and how they can work toward making more money," he says. "Each employee can then move forward with confidence that they have 'bonded' with their supervisor on their individual issues -- good and bad -- without involving others in the process."

 

Don't Let Under-Compensation Undermine You

If you learn that someone who holds a similar position earns a bigger paycheck, don't panic. First, do some due diligence to determine if you are being underpaid in general. Use the Yahoo! HotJobs salary calculator, and also reach out to your out-of-office network to find out how people at other companies are being compensated.

Next, says Dauphinais, "I would go to my boss and ask the reasons why." Open a rational dialogue to understand what skills or experience you'll need to improve your performance -- and earn more recognition and financial rewards.

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Salary Secrets Your Employer Doesn't Want You to Know

by Maria Hanson, LiveCareer

In down economic times, companies seem to have carte blanche to limit salaries and make low-ball offers. But that shouldn't be the case.
Below are the top salary secrets your employer doesn't want you to know. With this information in hand, you'll be in a better position to get the pay you deserve.


Employers don't always offer a fair salary.
Some employers think they're being fair, but they're not up-to-date with the latest salary information. Others may try to pay less than the market value because they're financially strapped. That's why it's important that you know exactly how much money you should be making. A free salary report can help you calculate how much you should be earning in any job.


You can negotiate your salary in a tight job market.
In a recession, many people would rather take a pay cut than lose their jobs. Raises are hard to come by and new hires may feel they have less negotiating power. But that doesn't mean it's impossible to bump up your salary; it's just a little more challenging.


According to a recent survey from the Society for Human Resource Management, 80 percent of HR professionals say employers are willing to negotiate salaries. So, if you're looking for a raise at your current job, come armed with your marketplace worth and make your case. And, if you've been offered a job that pays less than you like, don't be afraid to name your realistic asking price. Keep in mind that, if you got the offer, you're clearly the best candidate for the job -- even in this highly competitive job market.
New hires sometimes earn more than long-term employees.


When there's a strong job market, organizations need to do whatever they can to attract top candidates. This often means that starting salaries may be higher for newbies than they are for long-term employees. Given the current economic conditions, that's less the norm these days, but it still happens in certain industries. If you suspect that a new hire with similar responsibilities is making more than you are, use current salary data to approach your manager with the request to bring your salary up to par.


Your performance doesn't decide your pay.
While your performance is one important factor in the salary equation, your pay is also a reflection of many other factors, including:

• The job market -- lower pay is more acceptable in tighter job markets.
• Location -- generally the higher the cost of living, the higher your salary.
• Years of service -- in many cases, the longer you've been with a company, the higher your pay.
• Organization size -- large organizations tend to pay more than small ones.
• Education level -- in most cases, the more education you have, the higher your pay. Take a free education test to find out how going back to school can help you earn more.
  

If you're a valued employee who isn't making the money you deserve, you do have options. Know your value and make your case with the help of your free salary report. And know too, that many employers -- particularly larger employers -- have a little more in the "raise kitty" than they let on.


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Easiest Health Care Jobs to Break Into

This won't hurt a bit! Check out these hot jobs in a fast-growing field.

by Lydia Dishman, PayScale.com

Sure, the unemployment numbers are dismal. But there's one industry that's looking rosier every day--health care. Recent reports from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics confirm this: over the past 12 months, health care added 231,000 jobs--27,000 in July alone.

Though many people would like to get in, few make it past perusing the classifieds before becoming discouraged by the educational and experiential requirements. Though it's true that becoming a doctor, nurse, or specialized technician demands an advanced degree, there are some positions in health care that can be had without a four-year college commitment, and without a lot of experience.

But before you toss those thick course catalogs, know that many of these positions do require certification and/or a two-year associate's degree. The good news is that much of the schooling can be done on a flexible schedule or even online--perhaps while you're holding down the job.

Phlebotomy technician (PBT): median annual salary, $28,939
If you've got a high school education, an interest in science, and some health care experience, the American Society for Clinical Pathology wants to help you land a job as a PBT, collecting and analyzing blood samples from patients. The ASCP's Gelasia Croom says these workers are in high demand, due to lack of awareness about the job and retiring baby boomers.

Health-insurance agent: median annual salary, $38,205
Health-insurance agents provide easy-to-understand information and access to expert advice so consumers can make smart decisions about insuring their health. However, Fred Adams of HSA America notes that most insurance agents don't need an advanced degree. They must hold a license in the state where they plan to do business, but that license can be obtained in about two weeks, with no previous experience required.

Medical-records clerk: median annual salary, $25,189
If you're a stickler for accuracy and have great organizational skills, a career as a medical-records clerk may work for you. This is one of the few health care positions that doesn't require any patient interactions; workers assemble patients' health information--including medical history, symptoms, and exam and diagnostic test results--and manage the data for quality, accuracy, and security. Most applicants have an associate's degree along with a good command of computer software programs.

Physical-therapy (PT) assistant: median annual salary, $43,655
Thanks to aging baby boomers, demand for professional PT assistants is on the rise. If you have a high school diploma and good people skills, earning certification can take as little as six months. Then you can work with physical therapists to help patients exercise or learn to use crutches, for instance, and provide therapies such as traction, ultrasound, massage, and balance training.

Medical transcriptionist: median annual salary, $25,559
How fast can you type? Fingers fly when medical transcriptionists listen to dictated recordings made by doctors and other health care professionals and transcribe them into medical reports, correspondence, and other administrative material. Though more than half work at hospitals or physicians' offices, many medical transcriptionists telecommute from home-based offices. Slackers need not apply--accuracy is a top priority to prevent errors in patients' records.

Dispensing optician's apprentice: median annual salary, $23,600
Want to help people see better and look great? With a high school diploma, you could snag a position at an optometrist's office and receive technical instruction on the job, along with learning the finer points of office management and sales. Apprentices work directly with patients, fitting them for eyeglasses or contact lenses, while being supervised by an experienced optician.

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The Job Seeker's Workweek

by Brad Attig, for www.123Movers.com

When you're looking for a new job, having an organized plan of attack is one key way to stay ahead of the competition. Brad Attig, of MyRetailCareer.net, offers his tips on how to organize your job-hunting tasks for each day of the workweek:


Monday: Reflect and Plan
Resist the urge to jump into Monday and contact everyone you met or talked with last week. Use the day to recap your prior week's activities and plan this week's attack. On most Mondays, inboxes are filled and schedules are full of meetings. As a job seeker, you want to be noticed for skills and accomplishments, not your 9 a.m. Monday call.


Use Monday to look at your network and ask yourself, "Who did I reach out to? Who did I actually reach? Who do I need to reach back out to?" Also, look at the status of any interviews in process, positions that you applied to and haven't heard back on, and positions you were recently made aware of.
Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday: Strategically Implement
Start Tuesday with your prioritized plan of attack in hand. Resist the urge to just jump on the Internet and start sending resumes like a crazy person. Make your follow-up phone calls first (you are freshest in the morning) before staring at a computer screen all day. Afterwards, do your follow-up correspondence. Reach out to your network and make at least three dates to meet contacts during the week (lunch, coffee, informational meetings, networking functions, and so on).


Tuesday Afternoon, Wednesday, and Thursday: Apply for Positions
You need to develop a balanced approach to your search. Use this time to apply for appropriate positions. (Don't waste your time applying for positions you aren't qualified for or aren't interested in.)


You will probably have differing levels of interest in the job openings you've found--we'll call the most interesting ones the "A" jobs. Don't tackle all the A jobs in one day. Split the As, Bs, and Cs up by starting each morning with a few of the A positions. These are the jobs you will most likely be spending a lot of time and energy on. Fill in gaps with the Bs and Cs while taking breaks to keep from burning out.


Friday: Attack
Use Friday to hit the phones again. It may be hard to believe, but a lot of people are easier to get on the phone at the end of the week. Also, a lot of people like to "clear" their desk on Fridays, and if you happen to call at the right time, you give them that opportunity. And some people like the distraction of an unplanned call, which will give you more time than expected for discussing your needs, too. After making calls to potential employers, reevaluate your networking efforts and reach out again to those who might be helpful.


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A simple, 5-step plan for creating a new professional ally

by Charles Purdy, Monster+HotJobs senior editor

Whether you're looking for a job or trying to advance your career, networking is very important (in a recent HotJobs poll, 57 percent of respondents said that networking was a factor in landing their most recent job). And networking shouldn't end when you log off of LinkedIn or head home from a conference. Valuable contacts are on the perimeter of your social circle, they're the parents of your kids' school chums, they're sitting next to you on airplanes--basically, they're all around you every day. So how do you turn these people from relative strangers into valuable network contacts?

Step 1: Identify good contacts.
An effective professional network has a wide variety of types of people, including people from outside your industry. So how do you decide whether someone you meet at a cocktail party is someone you want in your circle? Career expert Liz Ryan says it's more about "feel" than logic: "You've got a certain style and approach, and people who are comfortable with you and with whom you're comfortable will make up your A-list for network cultivation."


Look for people who are active in and passionate about their field (whatever it is), and who seem interested in what you're doing. Also, people who communicate well are likely to be "connectors" who have their own networks that you may be able to tap into.

(Think you're too introverted to be a successful networker? Get tips on networking for shy people.)

Step 2: Manage your contacts.
Productivity expert Stever Robbins, the author of "Get-It-Done Guy's 9 Steps to Work Less and Do More," offers tips for managing the business cards you receive:

First, if you're at a conference or a similar event where you're receiving a lot of business cards, Robbins suggests jotting down quick memory-aid notes on the backs of cards--so when you enter the contact in your digital address book, you can record (in the Notes field) the name of the conference and what you talked about.

Then, immediately after you put a new person into your address book, send a brief "Great to meet you" email--with a note about your conversation and a brief follow-up.

(Read all of Robbins's tips on following up with new contacts after a conference.)

Step 3: Offer value.
Effective networking begins long before you need to get something from your network. First, you must demonstrate that you have something to offer--this builds a foundation of goodwill. Every time you talk to someone in your professional network, you should ask what he or she is working on, so you're aware of the problems your contacts are trying to solve.

In his book "Well Connected: An Unconventional Approach to Building Genuine, Effective Business Relationships," executive coach Gordon S. Curtis offers suggestions on how to offer value to a new contact: consider how you could supply information, new clients, or interesting products--or even other contacts. Curtis explains, "If you make the right introduction, both parties will feel you've done them favors."

Step 4: Stay in touch.
Your efforts to meet, record, and court new contacts are wasted if you let relationships lapse. An effective networker is participatory and involved.

Sound like a lot of work? It doesn't have to be--in fact, your networking efforts shouldn't take a lot of time (don't "spam" your network by mass-sharing things of little value). Read an interesting article or book? Ask yourself who else might benefit from it. Planning to attend an industry conference or networking event? Find out how you can get more involved. Have something to say? Update your blog, and comment (thoughtfully) on the blogs of people in your network.

Step 5: Get back from your network.
If you've been conscientious about maintaining connections with your network, asking for something like an introduction or a favor will seem less like an imposition.

One key to getting results is to make specific requests of specific people. Sending your entire network a tweet saying, "My interior-design firm is accepting new clients!" probably isn't enough--because it's not speaking directly to anyone, and it's not offering a tangible value. A better tactic is a targeted message to the right people--for instance, an email, describing your expertise in decorating boutique-hotel lobbies and asking for an introduction, to a contact in the hotel business.

Be concise with your requests, don't pester people, and don't take it personally if someone isn't able to help you--the reasons may be beyond his or her control. And finally, don't forget to say "thank you"--if one of your contacts finds a way to help you, look for a way to help him or her, so your relationship will grow even stronger.


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How to Negotiate Working from Home

by Lydia Dishman, PayScale.com

A huge corner office was once a universal symbol for making it to the top of the corporate heap. Today, according to Alan Blume, the author of "Your Virtual Success," more people measure their success by being office-less.

But while the number of U.S. telecommuters ranges from 2.8 million (the number of people who list their home as a primary place of work, not including the self-employed) to 44.4 million (the number of people who work at home at least once a year), Blume points out that more than 50 million people have jobs that could be done remotely or have businesses that could be based at home.

"Even large companies are recognizing that having a virtual business means enormous financial savings, lower turnover, improved productivity, and no costly overhead," says Blume.

Do you have a "pajama job"?
You don't need to assemble crafts or take surveys in order to work from home--but you need to know whether your job is suited to being done off-site. Workers who can access networks, files, or databases remotely are good telecommuting candidates. For instance, IT and computer-systems analysts who design and maintain business networks can tackle a workload from a home office, via virtual desktops and virtual private networks--as long as they have a speedy Internet connection in place. Paralegals, medical transcriptionists, and insurance-claims processors can work remotely with reliable computer access. Many companies will also outsource sales and public-relations efforts, as those jobs require more time spent with clients than in the office.

(See more of the top jobs for telecommuting.)

Are you prepared to prove yourself?
Many would-be telecommuters think that once they can work in their bunny slippers, they'll be more productive than ever. The key is to convince the boss. Bruce A. Hurwitz, Ph.D., president and CEO of Hurwitz Staffing, says there are three ways to ensure that you'll get permission to telecommute:

1. Establish yourself as a reliable and trusted employee. Lin Grensing-Pophal, the author of "Managing Off-Site Staff," says, "The biggest barrier to telecommuting is trust, but, in reality, it's no different from managing employees who work in branch offices or other remote locations--even internationally."

2. Show the company it will cost them nothing. The focus needs to be on measurable results and on the business. Don't talk about how it will benefit you.

3. Show managers how they'll get a full day's work from you. For instance, explain how commuting time will become actual work time. And communicate, says Grensing-Pophal. Supervisors expect that employees working from home will be as accessible as they are in the office.

Hurwitz suggests keeping an accurate log of your productivity. "There is always the danger that other employees will complain. The log gives the employer the evidence to justify their decision."

If you're still stuck on how to make the right approach, Michelle Goodman, the author of "The Anti 9-to-5 Guide" recommends downloading a telecommuting proposal template, such as the one available at WorkOptions.com.

If at first you don't succeed ...
Goodman says you shouldn't give up. "Ask what conditions would need to be met in order to work from home, and then work to meet them," she recommends. You could also try to negotiate a short trial period or less frequent time off-site.

"Ask whether your boss would be open to revisiting the topic several months down the line," suggests Goodman. And while you wait, look around for evidence that telecommuting benefits other companies in your industry. Still getting the "no way" vibe? Goodman says, "It may be time to start poking around for a new position."

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